Princess Cruises Food Porn
I just got back from a 10 day Baltic cruise on the Star Princess, and while I am not coming with photos of the food (my husband hates "pretentious" food, so we mainly stuck to the 24 hour buffet, and it's not really pretty looking), I do come bearing recipes that I got from one of the executive chefs. I went to a cooking demonstration that he gave on Sunday, which was followed by a tour of the galley.
So: 3 Italian recipes (all of which are pretty easy), and a dessert.
I'll put them behind the cut.
Penne All'Arrabiata
1 pound penne pasta
1 pint fresh tomato sauce (recipe for that is below)
1 TBSP. olive oil (the chef used extra virgin)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 TBSP. parsely, finely chopped
2 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (approx. 9 minutes). Drain and set aside. Put a skillet on medium heat and pour in the olive oil. Saute the garlic until golden and add red pepper. Add the tomato sauce and the pasta. Toss and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.
(This probably feeds about 4-6 people).
Tomato Sauce
1 lb. peeled canned tomatoes (crushed) (the chef used fresh tomatoes that he peeled and crushed himself)
1 TBSP. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5-6 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Put a skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil (the recipe left out the amount required, but you're using it to saute onion and garlic, so use what you think is appropriate). Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent. Add the tomato paste and peeled tomatoes. Next add salt and pepper as desired and let simmer for 20 minutes. When almost ready, flavor with basil leaves. If necessary, add a teaspoon of sugar.
Scampi Fra'Diavolo
2 lbs. shrimp
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup flour
1 tsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 oz. butter
1 jigger brandy
salt and pepper to taste
Lightly coat the shrimp with flour seasoned with salt. Put a skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil. When hot, saute the garlic until translucent and add the crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp and allow to cook for a minute. Add brandy and set it aflame. Let evaporate and add the tomato sauce. Leave the shrimp to simmer for another minute. Add butter for thickening and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Black Forest Cake
1.9 inch chocolate sponge cake, cut into 3 layers
4 cups heavy cream
5-6 TBSP. sugar
2 TBSP. vanilla
1/4 cup Kirsch (cherry brandy)
10-12 oz. cherries
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bits
In a bowl (chill it first), beat the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff.
Moisten one layer of cake with Kirsch.
Arrange the cherries on the cake layer together with the whipped cream. Moisten the second layer with Kirsch and place it moist side down on the whipped cream. Press to level. Top with cherries and whipped cream. Moisten 3rd cake layer and place on top, pressing to level. Refrigerate cake and remaining whipped cream for half an hour. Then place remaining whipped cream on cake and spread around entire cake. Decorate with chocolate bits and remaining cherries (use a pasty bag if you like, to make rosettes with some of the whipped cream).
So: 3 Italian recipes (all of which are pretty easy), and a dessert.
I'll put them behind the cut.
Penne All'Arrabiata
1 pound penne pasta
1 pint fresh tomato sauce (recipe for that is below)
1 TBSP. olive oil (the chef used extra virgin)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 TBSP. parsely, finely chopped
2 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (approx. 9 minutes). Drain and set aside. Put a skillet on medium heat and pour in the olive oil. Saute the garlic until golden and add red pepper. Add the tomato sauce and the pasta. Toss and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.
(This probably feeds about 4-6 people).
Tomato Sauce
1 lb. peeled canned tomatoes (crushed) (the chef used fresh tomatoes that he peeled and crushed himself)
1 TBSP. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5-6 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Put a skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil (the recipe left out the amount required, but you're using it to saute onion and garlic, so use what you think is appropriate). Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent. Add the tomato paste and peeled tomatoes. Next add salt and pepper as desired and let simmer for 20 minutes. When almost ready, flavor with basil leaves. If necessary, add a teaspoon of sugar.
Scampi Fra'Diavolo
2 lbs. shrimp
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup flour
1 tsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 oz. butter
1 jigger brandy
salt and pepper to taste
Lightly coat the shrimp with flour seasoned with salt. Put a skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil. When hot, saute the garlic until translucent and add the crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp and allow to cook for a minute. Add brandy and set it aflame. Let evaporate and add the tomato sauce. Leave the shrimp to simmer for another minute. Add butter for thickening and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Black Forest Cake
1.9 inch chocolate sponge cake, cut into 3 layers
4 cups heavy cream
5-6 TBSP. sugar
2 TBSP. vanilla
1/4 cup Kirsch (cherry brandy)
10-12 oz. cherries
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bits
In a bowl (chill it first), beat the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff.
Moisten one layer of cake with Kirsch.
Arrange the cherries on the cake layer together with the whipped cream. Moisten the second layer with Kirsch and place it moist side down on the whipped cream. Press to level. Top with cherries and whipped cream. Moisten 3rd cake layer and place on top, pressing to level. Refrigerate cake and remaining whipped cream for half an hour. Then place remaining whipped cream on cake and spread around entire cake. Decorate with chocolate bits and remaining cherries (use a pasty bag if you like, to make rosettes with some of the whipped cream).